Keyword research is fundamental to success in Internet and Affiliate Marketing, and even more so in any aspect of an online business that’s dependent on SEO, such as blogging, content creation, and content marketing. In this lesson, I’m going to discuss why keyword research is important and how it’s such a crucial determiner of success in an internet business.
What Is a Keyword?
A keyword is a word or phrase used in search engines when a person is seeking information. For the sake of simplicity, I’ll refer to both search words and phrases as keywords. For example, if someone wants to learn about tattoo removal, they may type “what is tattoo removal?” in a Google Search. That question is a keyword.
To have a successful internet business, you need a website. Think of your website as the foundation of your internet business, while the keywords you choose to write content about make up the frame.
Why Keyword Research Is Important
In a nutshell, you want your content to be found by the right people. Pay attention to what your target audience will likely type into their search engines so you can take that into consideration when creating content. Ideally, your content will be in their search results pages.
Unfortunately, keyword research is commonly overlooked in Internet Marketing training materials. The following example should illustrate just how crucial keyword research is to your business.
A Tale of Two Brothers
Once there were two brothers who each built niche sites. The first brother didn’t follow the FIMP niche selection training, yet still managed to select a decent niche. Though far from the perfect niche, it was sufficient. He purchased and registered the first domain name that came to mind without regard to keywords, and although his content is far from the best of the best, it’s certainly above average. He doesn’t have any social media presence.
BUT, he selects keywords very diligently and takes the time to research them before creating slightly above average content for his okay niche. On top of that, he executes on-page SEO perfectly.
The second brother follows all of training at FIMP, ticks all the checkboxes outlined, and selects an incredible niche. He comes up with a clever brand and domain that’s short and easy to remember. He writes incredibly high-quality content, some of the best content on the web, and leverages his social media.
BUT, he doesn’t select his keywords very strategically and writes about topics without doing any keyword research. He creates content that HE believes will be searched by his audience.
While the first brother disregarded a fair amount of what FIMP teaches and selected an okay niche, by contrast, the second brother followed the training perfectly but focused on writing content and not getting tied up in all the details of keyword research.
If I asked you who, between the two brothers, will end up more successful, you might select the second brother. After all, he did select a better niche, formulated a clever brand, spent more time on social media, and wrote higher quality content.
However, the first brother has a much better shot at success than the second one. Even though his niche is “just okay,” his domain name isn’t too clever, and his promotional efforts are nonexistent, the fact that he does keyword research diligently and optimizes his content around the keywords that he selects makes a huge difference.
What We Learn from the Two Brothers
Poorly chosen or completely ignored keyword research is going to equal inefficient SEO. If search engines aren’t finding your content, then you’re going to get fewer, or possibly zero, traffic. As discussed, traffic equals money. If you’re receiving no traffic, you’re going to earn no money. This is why keyword research is important; it ties directly to your bottom line and how much revenue your website is going to generate.
Wait…What About Niche Selection?
I know—I harped on and on about niche selection being crucial to your Internet Marketing success. The truth is, niche selection without keyword research will amount to nothing. Picking the right niche is a crucial first step; next to that is keyword research.
When it comes to building a profitable internet business, your efforts will be cumulative. You want to get the essential steps right during the early stages because the more you stack onto an unstable foundation, the more likely everything will tumble and collapse.
Keyword Research: What to Expect
Keep in mind that while niche selection appears to be subjective and more of an art form, keyword research is much more data-driven and scientific. There are solid criteria when deciding whether a keyword is a good, or not-so-good, option.